The Ruffled Crow

Adam Dorn grew up steeped in jazz.

[T]he son of famous jazz and R’n’B producer Joel Dorn. He grew up around the jazz and R&B discs his father produced for Atlantic Records in the ’60s and ’70s. As a 15-year-old, he sent a fan letter to bassist Marcus Miller. When Miller responded, inviting Dorn to come by the studio, one visit turned into three years hanging around artists David Sanborn, Luther Vandross and Miles Davis.

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In the New York clubs, as Mocean Worker, he worked jazz licks into his drum ‘n base DJ’ing, but not a lot more than is usual. By nature, there is actually a great deal of jazz in electronica, so the time he spent hanging with jazz legends was not going to waste.

Then he began to include samples of swing jazz and incorporate swing and big band structures and sounds into his music and it took off.

I came across Mocean Worker just after the Cinco De MoWo! album was released and am a huge fan. And I certainly haven’t been alone; Lincoln has used MoWo’s music in it’s commercials and his work shows up all over TV and radio.

I am feeling doubly fortunate as I’ve been able to dig up three animated music videos.

Shake Ya Boogie (from Cinco De Mowo!)

Shooby Shooby Do Ya! (from Candygram for MoWo!) Animation by Czarek Kwaśny

On and On (from Enter the MoWo! – can you identify all the jazz legends in this video?)